Do the jinn play any role in causing miscarriage or deformity of the foetus?

Question - Are the jinn able to affect the foetus in his mother’s womb by causing a miscarriage or causing him to be deformed?.

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

You should know that Allaah is the One Who creates the foetus in his mother’s womb. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three veils of darkness. Such is Allaah your Lord. His is the kingdom. Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away?”

[al-Zumar 39:6]

He is the One Who shapes him as He wills. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He wills. Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the All-Mighty, the All-Wise”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:6]

He is the One Who decides how long the foetus will remain and when he will emerge. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah knows what every female bears, and by how much the wombs fall short (of their time or number) or exceed. Everything with Him is in (due) proportion”

[al-Ra’d 13:8]

Shaykh al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after mentioning the different views on the meaning of this verse:

All of these opinions boil down to one thing, which is that Allaah knows by how much the wombs fall short or exceed. This falling short may mean a shortfall in numbers, or the lack of a limb in the foetus, or a shortfall in the length of the pregnancy, if she miscarries before the usual term. And this exceeding may mean an additional limb, or additional numbers, or exceeding the usual length of pregnancy. Allaah knows all that, and the verse includes all that. End quote.

Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 3/73.

Thus you should know that the idea that there is something that is called the taabi’ or tabee’ah in the womb, which causes miscarriage or deformity of the foetus, is an idea which has no validity. It is one of the myths of the common folk.

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

I got married on the eighth of Dhu’l-Hijjah 1403 AH. The woman whom I married is the daughter of my maternal aunt. On the first day of Ramadaan 1405 AH Allaah blessed me with a boy whom I called Moosa. In Sha’baan of 1406 AH my wife miscarried a foetus after the third month.

In Rabee’ al-Awwal of 1407 AH, Allaah caused my son Moosa to die. As I told you, my wife is the daughter of my maternal aunt, and after my son Moosa died, my aunt – who is my wife’s mother – came to me and said to me that she had gone to a man who has knowledge of the Book and said that this man had said to her that there is a taabi’ah – or a tabee’ah – from among the jinn with my wife, who kills her children out of envy (hasad) and resentment because of what she has. This man could put a stop to that tabee’ah or taabi’ah from among the jinn.

I refused that, and on the third day of Sha’baan last year, 1407 AH, Allaah blessed me with a daughter whom I called Mastoorah, but Allaah caused her to die the day she was born. My aunt came to me and said to me: Didn’t I tell you to go to that man and put an end to this matter? She insisted that we go to him and my father also insisted that we should go to that man who could put a stop to that taabi’ah or tabee’ah. I asked them to wait a while, so that perhaps Allaah would inspire me, and praise be to Allaah Who has guided me to write this letter to you, in the hope that Allaah will enable you to advise us on this matter, knowing that this matter is causing me constant anguish.

They replied:

You have done well by refusing to go with your aunt – the mother of your wife – to a man who claims to have knowledge of the Book, because he is a kaahin (sorcerer). You have also done well by asking the people of knowledge for the right answer. You should recite ruqyahs prescribed in Islam for yourself and your wife and the children with whom you have been blessed. Recite al-Faatihah over each of them, and the three mu’awwidhaat – Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, Qul A’oodhu bi Rabb il-Falaq and Qul A’oodhu bi Rabb il-Naas (the last three soorahs of the Qur’aan). After each time, blow into your palms and wipe them over the face and the front of the body. And recite this du’aa’:

U’eedhuka bi kalimaat Allaah al-taammati min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli ‘aynin laammah (I seek refuge for you in the perfect words of Allaah, from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from every evil eye)

I also advise you to buy the following books: al-Adhkaar al-Nabawiyyah by Imam al-Nawawi, al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Ibn Taymiyah, and al-Waabil al-Sayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim, for they contain many beneficial dhikrs and ruqyahs that are prescribed in Islam. End quote.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1/619, 620

They were also asked:

Some people who do not have children are advised by others to buy a billy goat, which should be of a certain colour, such as black; they tell them to tether it in their house for a certain length of time, and they say the reason why they are not having children is because of a female jinn called a taabi’ah. They claim that if the billy goat is kept in the house, this will prevent that jinn from entering the house, and that will result in the wife becoming pregnant. What is the ruling on that?

They replied:

It is not permissible to do that, and this is a kind of sorcery. There is no sound basis for what has been mentioned; rather it is lies and falsehood. End quote.